Dabiri-Erewa made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja while outlining strategies to mobilise Nigerians living abroad in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking about requests from foreign nationals seeking Nigerian citizenship, she said the number of people approaching her office for assistance had increased significantly.
“On my table, you see a lot of people telling us to beg the President to be able to give them Nigerian passports. Ask the Minister of Interior. It’s too much,” she said.
The former chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) suggested that the requests reflected growing interest in Nigeria, including among foreigners who reportedly wanted to establish businesses or explore investment opportunities in the country.
She also recounted the experience of a woman who, according to her, recently appeared on camera and said she had travelled to Nigeria and did not intend to return to her previous country of residence.
However, Dabiri-Erewa did not provide figures on the number of foreign nationals seeking Nigerian passports or details about the countries they came from. Her remarks were not accompanied by official citizenship or passport application statistics.
She also highlighted the contributions of Nigerians in the diaspora to the country’s economic and social development, particularly through financial remittances, investments and the transfer of professional knowledge and expertise.
According to her, diaspora remittances exceed $20 billion annually, making Nigerians living abroad an important source of financial inflows into the domestic economy.
She argued that the government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should strengthen engagement with Nigerians abroad to encourage their participation in national development and build support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
As part of the campaign strategy, Dabiri-Erewa said the directorate planned to activate APC chapters across five continents and launch a digital mobilisation initiative tagged “Operation Tell Your Story”.
The initiative is expected to encourage supporters to share their experiences and views about Nigeria and the Tinubu administration through digital platforms.
She said the campaign would also promote diaspora fundraising, increase awareness of voter registration and counter what the directorate considers misinformation about Nigeria and the Federal Government.
Dabiri-Erewa further urged the National Assembly to amend relevant laws to enable Nigerians living abroad to participate directly in elections through diaspora voting.
She noted that, even without the right to vote from their countries of residence, Nigerians abroad could influence political discussions by engaging their relatives, friends and communities at home.
Her comments come as political parties begin strengthening their mobilisation networks ahead of the 2027 general elections, with diaspora communities increasingly recognised as important contributors to Nigeria’s economy and political discourse.
While Dabiri-Erewa’s remarks suggest that some foreign nationals are interested in obtaining Nigerian citizenship, the extent of that interest would require confirmation through official immigration and citizenship data.
